History 392

Readings from Peiss were interesting but not surprising because of the 19th century notions and misinformation about sexuality in America. The document regarding YMCA was good because it should how men dealt with their sexuality. The thought of a man at fifty not being married already stirred alot of concern and accusations among the Young Men's Christian Association of being immoraly and not the way a man is to live his life.  I am sure that there were close male relationships in this organization because it was mostly male dominated.  However the letter left behind by one of its members was quite increminating in my opinion because there was so much that was intended to conceal that was leaked out.  I do believe that the men in question had a romantic relationship and were living in closet, as we would say today.  It is unfortunate that these men had to conceal their identities just to fit into their perceived way of existence.  The other document in Peiss that so revealing and one of my favorites was the V. C. Woodhull interpretation of married women in 1873, her words were so eloquent about how women black, white, enslaved or not suffer in the hands of any man.  Many women in this era lived only to please their husbands and had to accept anything the marriage offered to them, the good and bad. Woodhull took a stance about the subject about instituion of marriage just being a form of "sexual slavery".  And that, prostitute lived a better life because they can come and go as they pleased (like a man), and never have to cohabitat with a man who would mistreat them.  Very empowering document of the truths of the mistreatment of women of all classes!
The Gordon -Reed story about Thomas Jefferson was so indept about how he came to be the president and signer of the Declaration of Indepence, his personality of a strong business man, intellectual, love for the fine arts but most importantly the scandal that was really never talked about! He became the master of many mulatto slaves by way of his wife (Martha) who's father (John Wayles) fathered children from one of his slaves Elizabeth Hemmings (mullato).  It was so interesting how they came to live on the mountain of Monticiello and have inter-racial children for 5 decades! To me it really looked like a polygomy society but it was actually part of the Virginia law on slavery rights of a Master.  Thomas Jefferson became the master of so many mullato, but the real story that is so important is his secret mistress, Sally Hemmings.  She was said to be a beautiful mulatto that fathered his 6 or 7 children ( a few died early in life- typical of the era in childbirth) .  He never admitted he fathered these children, because it would have brought scandal to his white family, his job in government, the laws in Virginia pertaining to slave ownership.  So he live till the end of his life with his mistress and some of his children.  The older two children left Monticello without incidence to live a normal white life without any problems.  He freed the younger ones before his death, and his mistress was not formally freed in his will but he did give her notice after she became his mistress when they came back from a trip in France in which they started their 30 year realtionship.  He couldnt recognize her in the will because by law it was not acceptable in Virginia.  He died bankrupt, and his estate was sold, some slaves were sold, but the Hemmings because of the skin color and his love for them were all freed, most were literate, and had trades, which was not common for slaves in this time.  The Hemmings were part of the slavery because were propety of Thomas Jefferson but they had a upper hand and did less minial jobs as there all black couterpart slaves at Monticello.  It is a fascinating historial story because of the connection with a President of the United States of America.